


Full Immersion

by Life_on_Vega



Series: Tumblr Prompts and Inspirations [13]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-08
Updated: 2015-06-08
Packaged: 2018-04-03 10:19:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4097284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Life_on_Vega/pseuds/Life_on_Vega
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Matthew, a merman, went to a secluded cave so he could practice his singing alone. He never intended to get an audience...</p>
<p>[Originally posted on Tumblr.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Full Immersion

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LadyBeemer](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=LadyBeemer).



It had been quite a long time sing Matthew had sung. As a merman who took the warnings about the human world seriously, he rarely surfaced, unlike his trouble-making brother. He figured that as long as he didn’t seek to bother the humans, they wouldn’t bother him.

But still, it was difficult to sing underwater, even for a merman. So, just before sunset, when the humans began to bring their boats in, he swam to a cave that sat low in the ocean. Though the opening of the grotto extended far below the water, it only extended three feet above, allowing Matthew easy access. And with its rounded dome, the acoustics were very nice.

Matthew hauled his body onto one of the boulders. He adjusted his position, closed his eyes, and took a few breaths. Then, he sang.

The words came to him, as they always did. He sang about everything and nothing - the push and pull of ocean currents, the glimmer of sunlight on the waves, the endless motion of sea life. His voice took a lower, more resonant tone as he sang of the tempests that even the mer-people could feel, far below the surface. He eased into a slower, softer voice as he recounted the nights of ocean, vast and inky black, yet calm.

Matthew did not know how long he had been singing. He lost himself in the magic of the words and the melody, giving the barest thought to what note he would sing next. As she shifted into lower notes, he heard splashing.

He opened his eyes. There, attempting to swim toward him, was a human. The human’s head bobbed above the water, gasped, then slipped under.

_A human_ , Matthew thought. A second later, his heart started to pound.  _ **A human**_.

Matthew pushed from the rock and dove.

The human was easy to spot. The body had not slipped too far under the water, and the blond hair fanned out and caught what little light there was. A strong kick from Matthew’s tail, and he easily reached the sinking body. He wrapped his arms around the human’s torso and began to push them upward.

Matthew gasped as they broke the surface. The human’s head lolled. He swam them over to the rock that he had previously sat upon and hauled the human’s body onto it. He pulled himself up to take a closer look.

The human’s shirt was open, so Matthew pressed his palm to the chest. He moved his hand around, trying to feel if the pulse came from the man’s chest or his own panic. He looked at the man’s face - still no reaction. What did humans do when they nearly drowned? He could only think of the one thing he could do - the one bit of magic that was common to all merfolk.

Matthew leaned over and pressed his mouth to the man’s.

He held himself above the human, staring at his face. A second passed. Then another. At last, the human took a shallow breath. Matthew exhaled in relief. He watched as the human’s breaths grew more steady and deep. When the human’s eyes slowly began to open, Matthew spoke.

“Hey - are you all right?”

The human blinked, and then a slow, dazed smile spread across his face. “Are you the one who was singing?”

“Um… yes,” said Matthew. His eyebrows rose.

“I knew you would have a beautiful face to go with your beautiful voice,” said the man, staring at him.

“You-! You nearly drowned!” sputtered Matthew.

“I did…?” his eyes clouded in confusion. “Am I in heaven?”

“No, I saved you, but…!” Matthew trailed off, then shook his head. “The song. Listen, you’re not thinking right because of the song. Even though I wasn’t even trying to lure anybody in… Do you understand?”

The man smiled again. “The song was beautiful. Are you going to sing again?”

Matthew groaned and held his head in his hand. This was a disaster.

“How did you get here?” he asked. “Do you have a boat?”

“Ah… I was sailing by when I heard the song from the cave… I jumped in, and then I found you,” the human replied.

“Is the boat still there?”

The human paused. “I think I lowered the anchor…”

Matthew sighed. “Good enough. Come on, I need to get you out of here.”

“I can’t stay?” asked the man, frowning.

“No! You have human people you need to go back to, and you live on the land!” Matthew eased himself back into the water, but continued to face the man. “Hang on to me, and I’ll help you swim to your boat.”

Slowly, the man sat up, and he scooted forward until he slid into the water. He smiled again once Matthew held him. The human was actually kind of handsome with that smile, and those blue eyes, and that hair, but he shoved the thought aside.

Matthew turned them around and began to paddle out of the grotto. Sure enough, a white cruising yacht was floating a hundred feet away from the cave. He brought them closer to the ship’s hull, and the human began to stir.

“Can you make it up there?” he asked.

The water must helped to awaken him, because the man swam out of Matthew’s grip and reached for a life ring that hung from the side. He missed it the first time, but as the ship bobbed lower in the water, he managed to grab it. Matthew stayed close, just in case he needed to catch him, but the human pulled himself over the railing and landed on the deck.

“Okay - um…” Matthew started to back away, “if you’re all right, I’m going to go…”

“Wait!” the human called. He grunted as he grabbed the railing and lifted himself. “What’s your name?”

He stared for a moment. “Matthew,” he answered.

The human smiled. “My name is Francis. Can I see you again?”

“What?”

“Maybe tomorrow night? At this place?” Francis continued.

Matthew stuttered. What he was asking was crazy, but…

“Okay. Tomorrow, at sunset,” said Matthew. “And… please don’t crash your ship or drown.”

Francis laughed. There was something he liked about the sound. “I will see you then,  _Matthieu_.”

The human might have seen Matthew blush for a moment, but the merman splashed under the water before he could say or do anything else embarrassing.

**Author's Note:**

> The location that Matthew uses is inspired by the Blue Grotto, or Grotta Azzurra, in Capri, Italy.
> 
> This fic originally came from a prompt by BeemertheBummer, aka LadyBeemer, and was posted to my Tumblr. If you'd like to reblog it, click here: http://lifeonvega.tumblr.com/post/120077208367/91-drowning-make-matthew-give-him-the-kiss-of
> 
> I may write another chapter if I get more ideas for this plot.
> 
> I'd like to hear your comments and feedback, if you have them!


End file.
